1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for allowing a person who is confined to a bed to take a shower. More specifically, the present invention relates to a modular device that permits a bedridden person to take a shower in a conventional bed that requires no special mattress or bed frame.
2. Present State of the Art
Although sponge baths satisfy some of the hygienic needs of a bed ridden person, full showers are preferable because their administration leads to better hygiene and also to a greater enjoyment by the person who is confined to a bed. Under certain circumstances, showers may also be preferable because the cleansing effect is accomplished by running water instead of by the rubbing of a water impregnated object such as a sponge. Shower cleansing does not require the contact with the patient's skin of any cleansing pad, sponge or any other means for rubbing skin. Avoiding rubbing the skin is particularly important because the skin of a bedridden person might not tolerate the slightest degree of abrasion or even mild rubbing.
The terms "bedridden person" will hereinafter be used to designate an invalid, a valetudinarian, a patient, a convalescent person, and in general any person who is confined to a bed regardless of the nature and character of the disabling ailment, infirmity or any other cause that prevents such person from leaving bed.
Some of the traditional methods of administering showers to bedridden persons require the transfer of the person from the bed to another surface, platform or receptacle. This transfer is accomplished by lifting the person from the bed and subsequently depositing the person in the place where the shower is to be administered. Some devices require a transfer by sliding the person from the bed to another surface that is not the bed surface itself. In any case, after a shower is administered, the person is returned to bed by the reverse process. Devices for administering showers to bedridden persons that require the transfer of the person from the bed to another surface or the lifting of the person from the bed have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,054,136, 4,982,462, and 4,338,691. The transfer of the person away from and then back onto the bed leads to discomfort, it is time consuming, requires specialized equipment, and it may require the assistance of several people. Furthermore, the affliction that confines a person to a bed may render the bedridden person in such condition that the transfer away from and back onto the bed is simply not tolerated.
Other devices for administering showers to bedridden persons require the use of impermeable mattresses, modified mattresses, specially designed bed frames, or the use of tilting devices. Whereas the use of these devices allows the patient to remain on the bed while showering, the modified features of the mattress or bed frame render them somewhat cumbersome for their use in a common household. In addition, the specialization and cost of these devices may also be prohibitive for an ordinary household where the presence of a bedridden person is an exceptional event. Devices for administering showers to bedridden persons that require the use of a special mattress, bed frame, or tilting device have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,522,099, 5,136,735, 4,002,330, and 2,432,147.
Other available devices rely on platforms designed for collecting the water released in sponge baths administered to localized areas of the bedridden person's body. These devices do no permit the administration of a full body shower because they are not designed for collecting the water within an area as large as the entire body surface. Devices for administering sponge baths to a bedridden person or to a person lying in bed have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,583,252 and 3,083,376.
Conventional devices for administering showers are usually not suitable for easy and variable adjustment to different bed sizes. This limitation might not be very relevant to devices that are designed for their use in health care facilities because these facilities usually have an inventory of beds that are standard in size. However, a significant number of bedridden persons reside at home, where beds of different sizes are common. In particular, it is common for children to have beds that are smaller than beds for adult people.
Other available devices for administering showers to bedridden persons rely on platforms or receptacles that have to be supplemented by covers or screens to prevent water spillage when the shower is administered. These devices have joints that add complexity to the device, increase the probability of developing leaks, and require a number of assembly and disassembly steps that might be too time consuming. Furthermore, their storage requires more space than that required by a comparatively simpler device with a smaller number of components. A device with an elevated non-transparent flexible cover for administering showers to bedridden persons has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,792.
Although considerable attention has been given to the design of devices for comfortably administering showers to bedridden persons, few devices are so simple that they can conveniently be utilized at home by non-specialized personnel and yet meet the needs of professional health care facilities. Even fewer devices have these characteristics while requiring no specialized bed or mattress components. Furthermore, the number of available devices with all these characteristics is considerably diminished or perhaps reduced to zero when in addition, the bedridden person is to remain on the bed during the entire cycle that comprises the set up, shower administration, and removal of the device.
Conventional devices for administering showers to bedridden persons are not easy to assemble and disassemble, can seldom be stored in a small area, are usually not adjustable to beds of different sizes and some of them require displacements of the bedridden person that are intolerable. It is therefore desirable to provide a device for administering showers to bedridden persons that can easily be adjusted to different bed sizes; that can be easily assembled and disassembled; that can be used by nonspecialized personnel with minimal or no maintenance requirements; that are highly portable; and that effectively retain water and prevent water spills on the bed or any surrounding area that is to be kept dry. In addition, using such device should not require the transfer or even a prohibitive displacement of the bedridden person to whom the shower is to be administered. Furthermore, the device should be manufactured with simple, durable, readily available and replaceable materials, and it should be suitable for use at home as well as at a health care facility.